


The Visitor

by ficletwritersage



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Muteness, PTSD, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:21:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficletwritersage/pseuds/ficletwritersage
Summary: When JARVIS tells Steve he has a visitor, he expects a new delivery of ‘modern crap’ Clint insists on sending him every few weeks, a food delivery boy, or even a slightly-more-capable fan who’s managed to slip up to the higher floors (though Tony would scoff at the suggestion). What he absolutely does not expect is the ragged and hunched figure of The Winter Soldier standing in the lobby, completely at odds with the glass and polished steel of the rest of the room.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	1. 3 Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters will be short and I have no idea when I'll update. I wrote this on a whim cus I'm just here for the angst

For 3 weeks after the Hellicarriers went down, The Soldier waited. He waited in safehouse after safehouse after safehouse for Hydra to come and take him back. He needed to know, to be sure that he would be able to be free again.

For 3 weeks, The Soldier slowly regained pieces of his memory. Fragments that would slowly make themselves known like an image in the corner of his eye, vanishing when he tried to examine them more closely. Shards of sharp, clean, horrible memory that would attack him when he least expected it, always different but always leaving him drenched in sweat and shaking. In every memory was the pain and horror of murder, the agony of watching himself take apart victims who didn’t have names. Of watching the guard be shoved in his own mouth and the electricity course through his bones.

At the beginning of week four, he leaves. He hasn’t eaten in weeks and water will no longer hold him together. _This body is damaged. It needs repairing. Malnourished._ At the thought of that last word, He is attacked again by a memory, sharp and clear and horrible as always.

A small blonde boy lies on a bed older than either of them, the frame squeaking and groaning as the boy tries to get up.

_“’s ok Buck, please don’t, ’m fine, It’s not a worr-“ coughs wrack his small body. Each spasm making his ribs stick out, clear against his skin._

_“You stupid punk”, a hand (his hand), comes up to wipe at his eyes, “why wont ya just take some damn food. I’m not leaving until you share mine. I know we’re runnin’ on rations ‘gain but ya need ta eat. I can’t watch this. I can’t lose you too”_

_Steve’s (Steve?) Steve’s thin hand takes the bread, though The Soldier can tell he’d rather do anything else._

Bucky comes out of the memory shaking, but still on his feet. He knows where he can go.


	2. The Visitor

When JARVIS tells Steve he has a visitor, he expects a new delivery of ‘modern crap’ Clint insists on sending him every few weeks, a food delivery boy, or even a slightly-more-capable fan who’s managed to slip up to the higher floors (though Tony would scoff at the suggestion). What he absolutely does not expect is the ragged and hunched figure of The Winter Soldier standing in the lobby, completely at odds with the glass and polished steel of the rest of the room.

Frozen by shock, Steve doesn’t move for almost a full minute. When his brain finally comes back online and his feet decide to cooperate again, he’s in front of Bucky in less than 10 seconds.

“ _Bucky?_ ” His voice almost cracks in an awful parody of that moment on the bridge as The Winter Soldier, as _Bucky_ finally looks up and nods, before his eyes drop to the floor again.

“Where have you been? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Steve’s hands reach out to smooth the wrinkles of the soldier’s uniform, and he hates that he can feel him tense below his fingers. Bucky stays silent as Steve continues to look him over, noting the way Bucky has put most of his weight on his right foot and the not-quite-right angle of his metal elbow.

“It’s ok if you don’t wanna say nothin’ Buck,” his worry and relief both showing in his accent, “but maybe you wanna come upstairs n’ we can get some food in ya and maybe find ya a bed? You don’t look like you’ve slept in weeks…”

Bucky’s head lifts again slightly as his gaze drift towards the elevator, then up to the ceiling, eyes slightly unfocused as Steve takes his hand and pulls him gently towards the elevator. Steve is content to let Bucky keep his silence, he’s more concerned with getting him some food and letting Bruce have a look at him than he is with the lack of speech. He doesn’t know all of what his soldier’s been through and is certain there are bits Bucky will want to keep hidden, but if he had to choose between a safe, nonverbal Bucky and an absent Winter Soldier, he’d pick his Bucky every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where do you want this to go? I don't really have a plan so let me know if there's anything you'd like to see included :)

**Author's Note:**

> :)


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